Innocent Ojefia Blog

  The Appeal Court sitting in Owerri has sacked Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and declared APGA’s Alex Otti, the winner of the April 2015, Governorship election. The Court of Appeal ruling says Alex Otti won the governorship election in the State. Details later…..

With all the education, ethnic issues, religious issues continue to prevent proper discussions about the development of Nigeria. Yet we have several inter-ethnic business associates and several inter-ethnic and inter-religion happy marriages. The solution(s) are with us ...yet we ignore them via ethnic/religious biases. What we require now is a mindset 'reset' that would do Nigerians a lot of good, please we need to consider this in our discussions. Europeans/Americans do not struggle/hustle to become immigrants in Nigeria. Almost all Europeans/Americans arrive Nigeria with well-defined jobs, accommodation, cook/steward amongst other perks. Yet Nigerians get 'cocky' about European/American citizenship or residency. No matter how hard some people try, Nigeria is not and would never be a country of inferior people. Now five decades after political independence, the cult of inferiority continues to be nurtured by the ideology of development, which Europe ...

Lagos (AFP) - A Nigerian businessman is set to unveil what he says is Africa's largest statue of Jesus, describing it as a symbol of peace in a country wracked by Islamist insurgency. Read more at:   Obinna Onuoha commissioned the 8.53 metre (28 foot) tall "Jesus de Greatest" statue in 2013, hiring a Chinese company to carve it out of white marble.   Standing barefoot with arms outstretched, the 40 ton statue will tower over St. Aloysius Catholic Church in the mainly Christian village of Abajah in Nigeria's southeastern state of Imo. "It's going to be the biggest statue of Jesus on the continent," said Onuoha, the 43-year-old chief executive officer of an oil and gas distribution company.   "Definitely pilgrims will come."Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the statue's unveiling on New Year's Day. Onuoha said he has contacted the police just to be sure that it is not attacked or vandalised.   Nigeria, Africa...

The All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State on Monday suspended the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, Shehu Sani, from the party. Read more at: The senator, a registered member of the party from the Tudun Wada ward, was suspended by the Tudun Wada ward of the ruling part for anti-party activities and other offences. Sani a social critics and human right activist before joining APC has been a stron critic of the Nasir el Rufai led administration of the state government. The chapter of the party in the ward said in a letter to the senator dated December 27 that the suspension was for a period of 11 months and that, henceforth, “the senator is disengaged from partaking in or attending party activities in Kaduna State.” In the letter signed by the secretary of the ward, Ahmed Abdulhamid; the Public Relations Officer, Auwal Mai Anguwa; and ex-officio member, Aminu Alilan, said Sani was being suspended for various offences. The party listed Sani’s o...

It's obvious that Nigerians have, over the years, developed a very dangerous habit of politicising the issue of corruption and good governance. Nigerians defend the thieves from their "camps" or keep quiet when such matters come up. Yes, all region/people of Nigeria are guilty of defending bad and hurtful behavior when the looter /thief is from their area or political party. It's always been like that with us.  It is a big point that is on both sides of Nigeria's political divides.   When Saraki left Jonathan and PDP before the last election, he suddenly became a "progressive" and "patriot" to some political commentators but when he stepped on powerful toes in APC, they suddenly remembered he was a "thief" and started calling for his head. Once they thought they had him cornered, many started to bet that his tenure as Senate President would end in a matter of days, but today, the man is waxing even stronger as some of us had pre...

  Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is one leader that has refused to be perturbed by judicial distractions from opponents. His focus is on how to make Delta State better than he met it. That has remained his cardinal unprejudiced mission. Read more at: He foreclosed his mind-set from the onset from issues he knows will not add to the betterment of the State and its people, to concentrate his attention to bring prosperity to Deltans by providing jobs and creating wealth to better their lot. Having acknowledged that Delta State has tremendous potentials in agriculture, including the urgent need for job and wealth creation, Governor Okowa within three months of coming into office set up six new schemes to grow the agro -industrial sector of the economy, namely Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurial Programme (YEGEP), Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP), Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP), Tractorisation, Extension of Microcredit and Agricultural L...

  “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 NKJV   No one in our generation can testify to the accuracy of the date of birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus was likely not born on 25 December. And this is not disputable! But Christmas is not about the celebration of the “Day” Jesus was born; it has everything to do with the celebration of Jesus Christ - God’s Perfect Gift to mankind. The “Day”, 25 th December did not die for our sins, to save us from eternal condemnation and reconcile us to God. Jesus did. The “Day”, 25 th December did not manifest so that it might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus did (1 John 3:8). To celebrate the birth of the Messiah, a “Day” must be set aside in commemoration. And 25 th of December happens to be that fortunate Day!   God c...

The Appeal Tribunal this afternoon dismissed the duo petitions of LP and APC against PDP, thereby upholding the April 11, 2015 election victory of Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.   In his brief statement, the Governor noted that:  “today’s affirmation of my victory by the Tribunal is an invitation to all and sundry to join hands with this administration to move the State forward. In particular, I extend my hand of fellowship to Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the APC, both of whom I am sure are desirous to see Delta become a centre of excellence in all spheres of human endeavour. These men are my brothers, not my enemies. And I look forward and welcome whatever ideas and suggestions they have for the developmental aspirations of our beloved Delta State. Details later…

The Governor of Delta State, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the constitution of the Delta State Library Board. Members are: 1.      Hon. Dr. Israel Abido       Chairman 2.      Emeka Madu                     Member   3.      Mr Felix Oritsegbone          “ 4.      Dorothy Clark                      “ Date for the inauguration of the Board would be announced in due course.

Preliminary indications from PMB’s 2016 budget are positive and Nigerians applaud and welcome the budget. Of course we only have the preliminary numbers, the devil is always in the detail, so while I am happy now I reserve the rights to change my mind when we see the details. I am so happy because the budget sees education as the number one problem to be solved and therefore allocates a significant portion to it. Health was considered item number two, both before security which came in third. The statement “ While reiterating his (PMB) commitment to economic diversification, he said  farming and mining would be given special focus” makes my heart to rejoice. I had written severally that the focus on security and fighting corruption while popular should be put on the side burner.  When our people are educated and healthy and well fed, then they will be able to face other questions. Survival is the first law of nature and that is where our fights should begin. One wor...

Frankly speaking, any Appeal Court ruling on the Delta State governorship election that is contrary will be a federal rape on the people of the State who out of conviction and a careful assessment of candidates on the April 11, 2015 poll, entrusted their future and mandate to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa by electing him as governor of the State. True to his good nature and humane disposition, Senator Okowa within the last six months in office has tried to keep his campaign promises to the people of the State. He started very well as one who has good visions for the State. The governor had traverse the entire State, breaking grounds and laying foundations for take-off of projects, which the people had yearned for years. He fits in as that leader with the right passion and attitude that will move Delta people from where they are today to the next level of development. It is important to note here, that the government of Senator Okowa holds even greater promises to Delta people who ha...

Every team serious about ‘change’ starts with a clear identification of the baseline from which it measures deviations/progress. Nigeria has had 16 uninterrupted years of democracy with the PDP controlling the federal government as well as majority of the states. APC is now in charge at both the centre and majority of the states. A minimum standard for measuring ‘change’ is the extent to which APC government beats the record of the PDP in measurable terms. As the saying goes, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve/change it! Read more at; Government must strengthen the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and preserve its independence to produce and publish credible national statistics. It needs serious funding. I really wish our policymakers can be a little less careless or casual about the use of official statistics. I criticised the last government for relying on ‘estimates’ by World Bank staff instead of the NBS statistics. When I hear the narrative so far in the media by t...

  PRESS STATEMENT:  On Saturday March 28 and Saturday April 25, 2015, the people of Delta Central Senatorial District gave me their mandate to represent them in the Senate. Despite the antics and desperation of the opposition parties in the twice conducted senatorial election, the people of Delta Central with determination gave their votes to me, the PDP candidate in the election because of their confidence in me to offer them the needed representation in the Senate for the advancement of the Urhobo nation. My victory in the twice conducted senatorial election was affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Asaba the capital city of Delta State in two separate judgments against the opposition parties, the All Progressive Congress APC and the Labour Party LP in the tribunal. The Appeal Court sitting in Benin-city, Edo State on Monday December 14, 2015 further affirmed my victory by dismissing in its entirety the appeal brought against me by the APC candi...

Head of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption to President Muhammadu Buhari and renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay has revealed that the President’s party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) is more corrupt than the ousted People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He said in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune that the APC is peopled by very clever and highly intelligent, as well as criminally minded people taking advantage of any slightest opportunity or loophole unlike the PDP. “I am telling you sincerely, you can hardly beat them in such an issue.” Speaking on the knotty issues of the Kogi governorship election and other political cases before the courts in Nigeria, Sagay said most of the political judgements in court now will be tilting in favour of the APC because they are in power. He said in Kogi State, the most eligible person to have been used to replace the late Abubakar Audu in the supplementary election was Audu’s running mate, Jam...